The Medical Technology Association of India (MTaI), that represents mainly research-based medical technology companies, has said the cess imposed by the government on medical devices will lead to increase in cost of imported products and reduce affordability of healthcare.
This is against the basic ethos of Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) wherein government wants to provide affordable healthcare for all, MTaI said.
“A 5 per cent cess on custom duties for import has been imposed on medical devices in the budget which will increase the cost of the imported medical devices. Ultimately patients will bear this cost and affordability will decrease,” MTaI Director Sanjay Bhutani said in a statement.
This is a retrograde measure and goes against global companies which provide more than 80 per cent of critical care medical devices as well as the patient who gets exposed to the danger of smuggling of these low bulk and high value devices, without service & legal guarantees from neighbouring countries where the tariffs are already lower, he added.
